Franchisee Stories
Ben Little draws on lessons learned franchising with his father to grow new SweatHouz venture, blending operational expertise with a focus on health and community impact.
Franchising often runs in the family — not just in terms of ownership, but in regards to values, work ethic and the important lessons passed from one generation to the next. For Ben Little, the experience gained working alongside his father in their family’s Zaxby’s restaurants has had a profound impact as he’s made an entrepreneurial pivot.
“With Zaxby’s, it’s a family business. My dad is still one of my partners,” Little said. “But I wanted something with low employee headcount, relatively easy buildout, simple operations, preferably recurring revenue and something that added to the net health and wellness of society.”
Now 40, Little is applying the lessons learned from family franchising in the fast-casual restaurant realm to a wholly different venture: SweatHouz, a wellness-focused franchise specializing in contrast therapy, infrared saunas and cold plunge experiences delivered in a private setting.
In any franchising situation, mentorship can be a valuable asset. In the family setting, it’s often built right into the ownership experience. For Little, the experience equips him with the strong entrepreneurial backbone necessary not only to make the transition to health and wellness but establish enduring success.
Little and his father are partnering with Richard Gower in the new SWTHZ venture. Drawing upon their shared franchising background of operating 14 Zaxby’s restaurants allows Little and Gower to play to their strengths as they enter the new venture.
“Richard worked for the corporate office at Zaxby's and my dad recruited him to join our group. That's how we're all connected. But SWTHZ checked all those boxes,” Little said. “The appeal of franchising is that if the franchisor is doing their job correctly, you can pick the battles you want to fight and focus on your strengths. We’re strong in operations, people development, site selection and construction. And if the franchisor is doing its job, we don’t have to worry about marketing and other areas that we're not necessarily experts in. So far, so good.”
With two SWTHZ territories open and another under construction, the trio has struck licence agreements for an additional seven locations.
“Scaling to multiple units requires organization, delegation and recruiting future talent for our internal teams. It's hard to look past a year from now - but we hope to do more after that. Our first location recently celebrated its one-year anniversary,” Little said. “It's really hard work but gratifying.”
While health and wellness may be new entrepreneurial territory, Little is clear on the lessons he takes into the new SWTHZ venture.
“If you're getting into it to be an absentee owner, you're in for a rude awakening. No matter the brand, it requires active involvement. Eventually, at a certain scale, it becomes about providing opportunities for your people and teams. That's what Richard and I aim to do with SWTHZ,” Little said. “Many members come just for mental health. And some use it as a weekly reset with a partner. It's an hour for themselves, disconnected from the world. At Discovery Day, I had never done an infrared sauna or cold plunge, so I was skeptical. But, after my first contrast therapy session, I distinctly remember how my body and mental state felt afterward. It made me a believer.”
For more info on families in franchising, check out these related stories on 1851 Franchise:
Sign up for the 1851 Franchise newsletter to get our biggest stories before everyone else
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and acknowledge our privacy policy.
